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Hardback

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Drawing on philosophy, the history of psychology and the natural sciences, this book proposes a new theoretical foundation for the psychology of the life course. It features the study of unique individual life courses in their social and cultural environment, combining the perspectives of developmental and sociocultural psychology, psychotherapy, learning sciences and geronto-psychology. In particular, the book highlights semiotic processes, specific to human development, that allow us to draw upon past experiences, to choose among alternatives and to plan our futures. Imagination is an important outcome of semiotic processes and enables us to deal with daily constraints and transitions, and promotes the transformation of social representation and symbolic systems – giving each person a unique style, or 'melody', of living. The book concludes by questioning the methodology and epistemology of current life course studies.

Proposes a new view of the psychology of the life course

Features the role of imagination and play in developmental processes and shows that their core mechanisms extend beyond childhood

Applies developmental science to real-life situations, demonstrating how theoretical and philosophical elaborations about development illuminate our understanding of daily life

Reviews & endorsements

"A landmark in the development of Developmental Science. Dense, rich, personal and abstract by turns, it provides a synthetic foundation for a future, genuinely integrative, developmental science."
--Michael Cole, Distinguished Professor, Communication, Psychology, and Human Development, University of California, San Diego

"An exceptionally interesting book about the uniqueness of each human being. The volume centres on human development and its trajectories, meaning-making and imagination. This highly original collection of essays will attract cultural scholars and those who search for new ways of doing human and social science."
--Ivana Markova, University of Stirling

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Product details

Date Published: December 2013

format: Hardback

isbn: 9780521769389

length: 446pages

dimensions: 229 x 152 x 25 mm

weight: 0.73kg

contains: 47 b/w illus.

availability: Available

Table of Contents

Preface: from dispute to collaboration Introduction: melodies of living Part I. Time for Development:1. Solidity of science and fullness of living: a theoretical exposé 2. Imagination and the life course 3. Moving through time: imagination and memory as semiotic processes 4. Models of time for the life course Part II. Spaces for Development:5. Social framing of lives: from phenomena to theories 6. Stability and innovation in adults narrating their lives: insights from psychotherapy research 7. Paradoxes of learning Part III. Beyond Time and Space: Imagination:8. We are migrants! 9. Playing while being serious: the lifelong game of development - and its tools 10. Playing under the influence: activity contexts in their social functions 11. 'Old age' as living forward 12. Epilogue: the course of life as a melody.

Dankert Vedeler, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, TrondheimDankert Vedeler is Associate Professor Emeritus at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

João Salgado, Instituto Superior da Maia, PortugalJoão Salgado is Assistant Professor and the Head of the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the Maia Institute of Higher Education (ISMAI), Portugal.

Miguel M. Gonçalves, Universidad de Minho, PortugalMiguel M. Gonçalves is a Professor of Psychology in the School of Psychology at the University of Minho, Portugal.

Dieter Ferring, Université du LuxembourgDieter Ferring is Professor of Developmental Psychology and Psychogerontology at the University of Luxembourg.

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